Rotherham United: Warne has Blackburn decision to make on Millers striker Moore

Rotherham United are considering resting League One’s leading marksman for Tuesday night’s visit to Blackburn Rovers.

Striker Kieffer Moore took his tally for the season to eight with two goals in Saturday’s 5-1 win over Oldham Athletic.

But he is carrying a groin problem and boss Paul Warne is wary of asking too much of the 6ft 5in marksman.

“Kieffer is obviously sore in the whole groin area,” the manager said. “You could see him stretching off, even after he scored.

“He will definitely declare himself available. He would be a miss if he didn’t play, but it’s not the last game of the season on Tuesday night. Would I take a point or three points at Blackburn and then Kieffer be missing for four months? No I wouldn’t.”

The Millers’ medical team will check on Moore tomorrow and Warne plans to talk to the player as well.

“We really have to reassess him Monday,” Warne said. “We have to manage him properly. Last week was Saturday to Saturday and he didn’t train a great deal, so to ask him to go Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday might be pushing my luck a little bit.

“I will look at it and speak to Kieffer and the physios, it might be he gives us an hour or 90 minutes. I am not trying to be coy. I will have to look at it.

“He is struggling a little bit. Out of 10, he was probably a seven against Oldham. I don’t think he is moving as well. It’s great for him to score goals, but I just didn’t think he was as fluent as he has been in recent weeks.”

Rotherham moved up to eighth with their fourth victory in five matches and are the top scorers in the Football League with 20 goals.

Paul Warne

If Moore is ruled out, the Millers are likely to go with Jerry Yates up front after the young striker came off the bench and scored against the Latics.

It was was the first time that Yates, who has moved above Jonson Clarke-Harris in the strikers’ pecking order, has been used in the league this season.

“It’s not that Jerry isn’t good enough to play,” said Warne. “Unfortunately for him, he is behind the colossus that is Kieffer. He played really well in the reserves in midweek and deserved his chance.

“He is a big strong kid. It could be a really big year for him. I have no qualms in starting him or throwing him on in the next game. The only thing that is stopping him scoring a load of goals at the moment is me not picking him.”

Winger Jon Taylor has a sore knee and was brought off against Oldham as a precaution.